20 Ways to Make Exercise Easier

We’ve all probably heard it many times already: exercise is important for losing weight, increasing energy, preventing bone and muscle loss, feeling great — and on the list goes. While VitaMe’s custom vitamins can help you achieve your goals, they cannot fully capture all the benefits of exercise —and exercise can help you get the full benefits of your vitamin formula. Therefore, we encourage you to exercise moderately — approximately 30 mins 3-5 times/week — with a mix of both aerobic and weight-training exercises.

This is easy to say, but I know many of us struggle to actually make exercise and regular and consistent part of our lives. Here are some tips to help jump start your motivation and help you to add in more activity:

Exercise: Any kind, any time. Sure, there are better times and better exercises for fat burning, but they all beat sitting on the couch. Something, anything is better than nothing.

Start with where you are and build up slowly from there. If you haven’t exercised for years, start with walking and build up time and distance. If you already walk, try jogging.

Set moderate and attainable goals. And once achieved, increase them slightly and try again.

Sign up for a 5k or “fun run” in your area. Having something specific on the calendar will help you stay focused. Sites like Active.com and RunLocator.com can help you find events in your area.

Challenge yourself a little at a time. If you can’t run, start slow by walking for 9 minutes and jog for 1 minute. Do that a couple of times and then slowly exchange the minutes walking for minutes running.

Buy a pedometer. Try to get 10,000 steps per day in. That’s about 5 miles +/- depending on your stride length.

Walk everywhere. If you’re the parent of an infant, try carrying the child instead of pushing a stroller. Walk (or bike) to nearby errands instead of driving.

Swim, swim, swim.

Find fun exercise. Join a softball team, commute to work on a bike, whatever.

Consistency matters more than intensity.

Volunteer — on your feet. If you are resistant to exercising, consider volunteer labor. Walk dogs at the animal shelter, do beach or riverside clean-ups with a local environmental group, volunteer on building and repair projects.

Trade up. Replace your least favorite TV show with mild calisthenics for 30 or so minutes.

Make use of the commercial breaks. Or do jumping jacks, sit-ups and squats during commercials.

Get an active dog! They will force you to get outside every day, and they make the best exercise companions.

Make friends with physically active people. If you have very active friends, you will be exercising without even noticing it because you will be having fun with friends.

Dentist-approved: Do squats while brushing the back sides of your teeth and calf rises while brushing the fronts. Then you get in at least some exercise and also brush long enough.

Take the stairs.

Keep track. Use those multi-colored stars on your calendar for each day you’ve achieved your goal — exercise, diet, whatever it is. Gives you something, small as it may be, to look forward to, and helps you feel proud of your progress.

Break time stress buster: Start walking outside to get fresh air, which translates into better mood. Make sure you keep up a brisk pace.

Live like the parking lot is full. Park in the spot of the lot FARTHEST from the door rather than closest. This forces you to walk extra steps.